No Military Supplemental This Year?

• Author: Book, Elizabeth G.
• Position: Defense appropriations - Brief Article

Les Brownlee, staff director of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Steve Cortese, staff director of the Senate Appropriations Committee, recently were part of a panel discussing the presumed absence of a supplemental appropriation bill for the military this year. "I think it is refreshing to see that the administration will do a detailed threat assessment and strategic review before coming to the Hill to fund programs," Brownlee said. Cortese shared Brownlee's view. "The administration needs to identify their priorities and then undertake the strategic review," said Cortese. Cortese also gave a basic timeline: "The administration will send the topline figure to us on March 28, and the budget must be received by April 1," Cortese said.

Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., agreed that the strategic review should...